Chapter 13

"Ezra this is bad" Spencer remarked as they sat behind a tree watching Aria talk in a rapid pace to someone.

"Well we got to know what she is up to"

"We don't. You do" She said annoyed as Lilia got out of the car and walked over to them.

"That is Dustin"

"You know him?"

"Kind of" she said as she tossed a stick around clearly bored. "He came over all the time when we lived in San Francisco."

"Was it your mother's boyfriend?" Spencer asked not allowing Ezra to.

"I don't know. Can we go home? I am bored" she begged and Spencer stood up as Ezra continued to crouch down.

"Oh no you are coming with me. I am not allowing you to spy on her any more, if she wants you to know who he is she will tell you in her own time. Besides you two are not together remember?"

"Don't remind me" He said annoyed as he stood up with Lilia. "Do you want to go to my apartment or go get some ice cream?"

"ICE CREAM!"

Ezra laughed and waved Spencer off assuring her he would be by her house later for Lilia's things. The two walked for a few minutes before they got to the ice cream parlor. It took Lilia awhile to decide on what to get, but by the time she did Ezra had already finished his causing him to wait patiently as she ate her ice cream. He did not mind though because the two go to have some one on one time together and he got to learn more about her like her favorite animal was a bluebird and her favorite class at school was Language Arts. Ezra smiled when she told him that knowing Aria and his love of literature was passed on to their daughter. Once she was done they walked to Ezra's apartment stopping on the way to pick up some take out for dinner later that night.

"Dad thank you" Lilia said honestly as they sat together on his couch in the apartment.

"For what?" He asked pausing the movie to look at her. He could tell this was serious because she had the same serious look on her face that Aria always got when she was serious.

"For making mom happy again."

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since I was a little girl" Ezra smiled at that thinking of how she was still a little girl, but mature for age just like Aria. "Mom always was sad at first I thought that is what all moms did, but that was until I overheard mom talking to Aunt Alison when she came to visit."

"What did she say to her?" Ezra asked getting a little anxious as to what his daughter could say to him.

"They were talking about boys I guess and she told Aunt Alison that she gave up on love long ago when she left the love of her life behind here." Lilia looked down at her folded hands and smiled before looking back at her father. "Then you came and all of a sudden she was happy again. I mean she was always happy with me, but I always knew she would be happy with whoever that person was and I think that person is you"

"I don't know Lilia. Her and I we are two different people, I wouldn't get your hopes up ok? Your mom doesn't know how to feel yet."

"Do you?" She asked him and Ezra smiled and picked up the remote un-pausing the movie.

"Yes sweetheart I do."

He smiled and she cuddled up to him on the couch quickly falling asleep. To Ezra it felt as if his life was complete except it wasn't, there was still that one little piece that was missing from all of this: Aria. He got up and picked up Lilia carrying her over to his bed and laying her down onto it. If Aria wasn't going to come back for Lilia tonight he was at least going to allow his daughter to sleep on his bed. Grabbing a blanket from his closet he was about to lay on the couch when Aria walked into the apartment. She didn't say a word she just crossed to the other side of the room and started to pick up Lilia until Ezra stopped her and made her follow him out into the hallway; she was hesitant to do so because she did not feel like answering any questions he had for her tonight.

"What? I have to get Lilia back home" she said trying to get back into the apartment so she could leave with her daughter.

"She is fine in my bed for right now. You and I need to talk first." He said putting himself between the door to his apartment and a very annoyed Aria.

"What? There is nothing to talk about"

"You ditched our daughter and I to go after some guy without even telling any of us what was going on."

"He isn't just some guy Ezra"

"Oh" he said looking down at her. "Who is he? And why did he come over all the time while you and Lilia lived in San Francisco?"

"How did you know that?" She asked and Ezra just gave her a look. She grumbled and wrapped her hands around herself. "Let me guess Lilia?"

"Of course. She didn't tell me anymore than that and that his name is Dustin."

"We went on one date together and it was nothing" She began as she crossed the hallway and slid down the wall to sit on the floor. She could not bear to stay standing up any longer if she had to go through this whole story to Ezra. "Ever since then he has had an obsession with me, he thinks Lilia is his when he only met her when she was five. It has freaked me out ever since it began. He will send me flowers and text messages and stalk me at my workplace; the school had to get a no trespass order on him to keep him away from any school functions. It reminded me so much of the –A days that I almost sent Lilia to live with my mother, but I couldn't be away from her besides you she is the only person who makes me feel safe and special."

"Did he ever hurt either of you guys?" Ezra asked as he crossed the hallway and crouched down in front of Aria forcing her to look up at him in the process. She shook her head and Ezra let out a sigh of relief knowing his daughter and Aria had never gotten harmed by someone.

"It was scary though he knew everything about me and my family and Rosewood. The only thing he did not know about was you and I was grateful for that, in a way I felt like at least I could protect one person in this situation if I could not protect them all."

"Aria then why did you leave to go to him? Why was he always around?"

"Because he would always come over and I would make him leave and sometimes he wouldn't. It was hard to fight with him when Lilia was around." She looked down at her feet, not wanting to look into his eyes any longer. "I went to him because I wanted to know why he was in Rosewood; I wanted to know why he had followed Lilia and I here."

"What did he say?"

"He said he found out about you, about everything, and he wanted to come see you to tell you to back away from me. I told him to leave us alone, that him and I were never together, but he wouldn't budge. It took me hours to even get him to agree to not tell the school district about our relationship we had while we were in high school."

"How did he find out if he had not known before?"

"I don't know. I think he follow Lilia and I here and stalked us. I am scared Ezra, I don't want him to hurt you."

"He won't hurt me Aria, I have dealt with worse." He lifted her chin forcing her to look away from her feet and to me. "I will do everything in my power to protect you and Lilia. You guys are my world." He leaned I and gave her a deep kiss. She smiled when he pulled away and stood up with him. "Don't worry about the school district when I found out you were coming to teach here I told them everything that had happened. At first they were shocked, but then they said there was nothing they could do about it because we are both old enough to make our own choices. We are safe Aria we don't have to worry about that anymore."